The present invention relates to vehicle systems, for example, an automated transmission system or an automated gear shift system for a motor vehicle.
Automated transmission systems for motor vehicles, such as in British Patents 2308413, 2354296, 2354295, 2358443, 0105186.1, 0029453.8, 0026423.4, 0025848.3, 0025847.5, 0029454.6, 0025000.1, 0024999.5, 0026178.4, 0027640.2, 0028310.1, 0031624.0, 0103312.5, whose content is expressly incorporated in the disclosure content of the present invention, include various components, for example an hydraulic pressure supply unit, a valve unit, a gear shift mechanism and an electronic control unit, which are installed in the vehicle either as original equipment or as upgrades and even as spare parts installed during maintenance of the vehicles.
In order to function correctly, the various components for the system must be calibrated, and the electronic control unit must be programmed using the important identifiers of the components. This may be performed after installation of the system in the vehicle. However, it is desirable for individual components to be pre-calibrated by means of bench tests and the identifier of each component to be entered in the control unit when the system is installed or when a component in the system is replaced.
It is also desirable for each component of the system to be identified to ensure that the correct part is installed in the system and to offer protection from imitation parts.
Bar coding of the various components of the system has previously been used for this purpose, the various bar codes being read using a scanner when the system is installed in the vehicle and the data being entered in the electronic control unit.
This method of marking the various components of the system has the disadvantage that the bar code must be visible so it is possible to scan them. This is not always possible when the system is installed in the vehicle. Moreover, it is easy for the bar codes to be covered with dirt or to detach from the components.
The present invention provides an improved method for calibrating such systems.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a method for calibrating a vehicle system comprising multiple interconnected components, among them an electronic control unit, includes the attachment to each component of the system of an unpowered, semiconductor-based electronic transponder unit that responds to a radio signal, encoding of the transponder unit with data that pertains to the component, and excitation of the transponder unit using a radio scanner to read the data from the transponder unit and write the data into the electronic control unit after the component has been installed in the vehicle system.
Using the electronic marking means according to the present invention, the radio scanner only needs to be disposed in the vicinity of the transducer in order to read the data and thereby overcomes the difficulty of reading data from unfavorably positioned components. Furthermore, the transponders may also be read, even if they are heavily soiled. Electronic, semiconductor-based transponders of the type used are also capable of storing more data than are able to be represented in a bar code.